Female Celebrities Behaving Badly

Rich, Beautiful and Rebellious - The Chaotic Lives of Young Stars

Aug 16, 2009

Forget the demure starlets of the past, famous women today work hard, play hard and have public breakdowns. But is their bad behaviour encouraged by the media?

Society's fascination with fame and youth has kept many female celebrities under scrutiny as their image and activities are photographed and discussed at length.

But reports about the drug use and public breakdowns of women like Amy Winehouse have become more prevalent, yet rather than make them less appealing, such news heighten their profile.

Female Actresses of the Past

The public lives of young actresses in the past were highly regimented compared with their counterparts today.

Their public profiles were strictly managed by film bosses and some lived in the Hollywood Studio Club, a chaperoned dormitory and home to actresses including Marilyn Monroe from the 20s to the 70s.

A 'studio girl' was described as "a smartly dressed, graceful, and genteel woman tutored in etiquette as well as the performing arts."

Female Actresses Today

Today young actresses lead a less sheltered existence. They earn more money and have more control over their lives, and coupled with the media's interest in their activities are also more exposed.

For some the media coverage of their chaotic private lives now overshadow their acting careers. A prime example is the 23 year old star of Mean Girls Lindsay Lohan, whose all-night partying, hospitalizations, DUI arrests and tumultuous lesbian relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson is such a tabloid staple that one studio boss said "Her career was over long before she had these troubles ... Right now, she'd have to pay a studio to get herself into a movie." ("I Know Who Killed Your Career", Entertainment Weekly, August 2, 2007)

Another young actress facing media over-exposure is 23 year old Mischa Barton. The star of teen series The O.C, Barton was admitted into a psychiatric hospital following a breakdown on set of her latest film, ironically about a supermodel with a drug addiction.

Also arrested for DUI, Barton's partying, mental issues and weight fluctuations (there's speculation she may be anorexic) have kept her in the news for all the wrong reasons and may be jeopardizing her film career.

Female Celebrities and their Misdemeanors

Although actresses have a hard time being taken seriously following their tabloid woes, the misdemeanors of female stars in other fields seem to increase their popularity.

Supermodel Kate Moss was pictured snorting cocaine in 2005, but although fashion houses Chanel, Burberry and H&M cancelled their contracts with her in the wake of the revelations, a couple of years later Moss had featured in even more ad campaigns, her clothing line for Topshop was a best-seller and her earnings had tripled.

Soul singer Amy Winehouse's notorious drug use hasn't done badly for her profile either. Since releasing her Back to Black album in 2006, Winehouse's drug binges, arrests, near overdoses, violent confrontations with fans and increasingly emaciated figure have filled tabloids, yet she won five Grammys, three Ivor Novellos and one Brit award despite her garbled acceptance speeches and increasingly lackluster performances.

Britney Spears' personal woes have been well documented. The 27 year old Baby One More Time singer and twice divorced mother of two had a meltdown in front of the cameras, and pictures of her shaving her own head, attacking photographers and driving erratically with her son on her lap raised concerns, yet her comeback album Circus sold over 4 million copies and the accompanying world tour was well received.

Female Singers Today

Society's inability to chastise young celebrities for their bad behavior means their misdemeanors actually increase their profile. Female stars today have begun to actively seek notoriety as a way of keeping themselves in the news without fear of public backlash.

While singers like 24 year old Leona Lewis are considered boring for not courting controversy, fellow pop singer Lily Allen, 24 is lauded for her outspoken criticisms of other celebrities and intoxicated appearances on stage.

"Opinionated and fiery, [Allen] has kept the papers buzzing all summer for reportedly spitting at Peaches Geldof, admitting she sold ecstasy in Ibiza when she was 15, telling the NME she'd celebrate a No 1 with gak (cocaine) or laying into...Madonna...Victoria Beckham, Bob Geldof, the Pussycat Dolls...few musicians nowadays would be so free with their opinions. Fewer still also look good in a dress..." ("Me, My Dad and Dumbo", The Guardian, September 22, 2006)

Fellow singer Lady Gaga, who had Number one single with Just Dance is regularly photographed in provocative attire and seems to epitomize the current trend for sexually provocative singers not afraid to play the 'dumb blonde' persona to gain popularity.

The media may not be encouraging starlets to misbehave on camera, but their coverage of such incidences raises their profiles and proves the old adage 'there's no such thing as bad publicity'.

The copyright of the article Female Celebrities Behaving Badly in Pop Culture Trends is owned by Kimberly Ward. Permission to republish Female Celebrities Behaving Badly in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Aug 21, 2009 9:37 AM

Guest :

What is it with the industry that makes these people behave the way they do when they achieve the fame they have dreamed off. Is it caused by the fans or the people incharge of the industry. It is a shame that they are bad role models to people that look up to them.